Team Minato Story Collection
by phantom130 5
Summary: A short collection of one shots revolving around the love triangle between Kakashi, Rin, and Obito. Co-written with hiei2828 (Up to Chapter 3).
1. Rin's Birthday

**Chapter 1: Rin's Birthday**

**Author's Note: Happy birthday, ChibiJinchuuriki. I hope you enjoy this story - it's dedicated to you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"Sorry I'm late, guys!" A black-haired, goggle-wearing boy called out from the distance as he frantically sprinted toward his ninja teammates.

The boy was drenched in sweat, almost as if he'd been running for a while. This caused his goggles to fog up and impair his eyesight, which in turn led to him blindly running into Kakashi Hatake, a teammate and longtime rival of the boy's. Minato, the duo's blonde-haired sensei, watched, laughing as Kakashi tried to force his friend off of him.

"What's wrong with you, Obito? Why are you always so late?" Kakashi asked angrily to the black-haired boy, more commonly known as Obito Uchiha.

Obito smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Kakashi, I must have somehow forgotten to set my alarm clock last night. But hey, you know, it's probably better this way, because now I'm well rested for our mission!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Obito. If this were the first time this happened I'd feel differently, but you're late every day. If you don't start waking up on time, I'll wake you up my—"

Minato held his hand and motioned for Kakashi to be quiet, "Now, boys, let's not fight. After all, what's more important: a little bit of lost time or your friendship? It's impossible to restore time by fighting. All you can do now is work with what you have."

Kakashi sighed. He hated to admit it, but his teacher was right. " Alright, sensei... Let's get started."

Obito nodded and took the time to examine the training area. Everything looked the same as ever, but at the same time it felt like something... or_ someone_ was missing.

"Where is Rin?" Obito asked, still looking around for said girl. Rin was the third and final member of his and Kakashi's three-man squad.

Before Kakashi could answer, Obito stopped looking and let out a hearty laugh.

"Looks like I wasn't the last to show up this time!" Obito teased, playfully punching Kakashi on the arm.

"Actually, no," Kakashi corrected. "Don't you remember our conversation yesterday?"

Obito looked confused. "What happened yesterday?"

Kakashi sighed, exasperated, but he still explained, "We're planning a way to surprise Rin for her birthday, so we told her there was no training today so we could work on planning out the party."

"Oh," Obito said sadly. Deep down, he had really hoped for Rin to show up.

"Anyways," Kakashi continued, "we need to pick out something for Rin's birthday, so let's head out. We're going to my house to think up a good gift for her."

Obito smiled at this news. This was finally his chance to show Kakashi up! After all, he knew more about the girl than anyone else on his team. He'd make sure that Rin had the best birthday possible.

"Minato, are you going to keep an eye on Rin and make sure she stays away from us until 3:00?" Kakashi asked as he looked down at his wrist watch. "Its 6:37 now, so we'll have until then to make the preparations."

"Sure thing, but are you sure you have enough time? Planning a good birthday party may take longer than you think," Minato said.

"Not sure. It would have been nice to have an extra half hour, but because of _you-know-who, _we'll have to make do with what we have." Kakashi explained.

Obito felt like saying something, but thought better of it. He was smart enough to know that Kakashi was talking about him, but the last thing he wanted was to resume his fight with Kakashi from earlier.

For someone who lived alone, Kakashi seemed to do a great job at keeping his house spotless. This was the opposite of Obito's place, which was a lot more cluttered and disorganized. It always took Obito hours to find anything in his home. He wondered if that was why Kakashi picked his place over the Uchiha's to plan for Rin's birthday.

Obito immediately made himself comfortable sitting at the dining room table. Kakashi, on the other hand, went into a drawer and took out a pad of paper and a pen.

"Okay, to figure out a gift for Rin, let's first list things that she likes," Kakashi suggested as he took a seat beside Obito.

"Well, Rin likes being nice," Obito said.

"Nice doesn't count. Come on, Obito, you know her better than I do."

"Rin is pretty," Obito said, blushing.

Kakashi sighed. "We need to list things that would lead us to finding a present that she would like, not just character traits. Rin is a medical ninja, so maybe we should get her something a medical ninja would like."

"Oh," Obito said. "Well, Rin enjoys reading."

"She does?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, haven't you noticed? She has a ton of fiction books. Sometimes she brings them with her on our missions," Obito said, beaming. He felt happy that for once he thought of something before Kakashi.

"Well, if she likes reading then maybe we could get her the newest volume of Icha Icha," Kakashi teased. "If she likes it, then I may actually consider asking her to be my girlfriend. If not... Well then, I'll just ask for it back. Either way I win."

"You're a horrible person to even say something like that!" an offended Obito shouted. "Why Rin even likes someone like you is something I'll never understand!"

"Relax Obito, I was only kidding," Kakashi said. "Anyways, I think we should go to the book store and see if there are any good stories for Rin."

Kakashi and Obito soon arrived at the ninja bookstore. It was a big place with books of every sort that ranged from topics like genjutsu all the way to gardening.

Kakashi and Obito went straight for the romantic fiction section and began search there. Obito searched through the assortment thoroughly. Every so often, he'd pull a book off the shelf and read the back cover, then he'd put the book back. Although there were so many options, none of them seemed, well... right. Sure, there were a few good selections here and there, but were they something Rin would find hard to put down?

Even some of the year's best-sellers didn't seem right. _Vampire Heart_ was supposedly really popular amongst girls. It was a trilogy about a teenage girl who fell in love with a vampire.

Obito spent a long time with that book in his hands. He couldn't help but wonder if it were really the best choice. Surely there had to be a better story, something that Rin could easily relate to.

It was around that moment that Kakashi made his way up to Obito. He instantly took note of the romance novel in the Uchiha's hands.

"Good, I'm glad you were finally able to find something," he said.

Obito looked down at the book with a mixture of shock and confusion. "O-oh this... I don't think Rin will really like it that much."

"Come on, we don't have much time as it is. Let's just take this book and get out," Kakashi said, taking the novel out of the boy's hands.

"No, I really don't think Rin would like this!" Obito retorted, snatching the book back.

Kakashi sighed. "We don't have much time as it is. Let's just take the story and go. If Rin doesn't like the gift, she can just return it."

"But I want to make sure we get her the best gift possible," Obito explained.

Kakashi groaned and took a moment to think over a new plan. "Alright, how about you stay here and look around some more, while I do the rest of the shopping by myself. I'll come back and we'll head to the training field together to set up."

Obito nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

So that was what they did.

It took a lot more searching, but Obito finally found a book he was happy with. It was a story called _Toki Sakura No Aki_. It was about a teenage boy and girl who both had a crush on each other, but were too shy to confess their feelings.

The cover had a red rose on it. This led Obito to believe that the story had a happy ending, and he liked happy endings. He thought this book fit Rin perfectly.

Now all that was left was to purchase the book and wait for Kakashi to return. Obito wondered if Kakashi was having as much luck as he was having.

At that moment, Kakashi was sitting down at a bakery waiting for his number to be called. He was just relieved that today wasn't a very busy day. The only person before him was a man with white, spiky hair.

"I can't believe no one was here to celebrate my birthday!" the man complained to Kakashi as the two waited together. "I spent a few years away from the village and now it seems like the people forgot about their old toad sage."

"That sucks," Kakashi said, trying to seem sympathetic. In all honesty, he wasn't sure why this strange man was talking to him, but he sort of enjoyed the company. "What did you do?"

The man blushed and started to laugh, which came out more as an awkward sounding noise. "Well, I did what I usually do when I feel lonely. I spied on some pretty girls and wrote out ten new chapters for my book."

Kakashi backed away a bit from this guy. "That's, uh... really nice," he said, forcing a smile to show through the creases of his mask.

The white-haired man was about to reply when a woman walked out with two cakes.

"Numbers five and six," she called, handing the cakes to the ninja. "Thank you, and please come back again some time."

After that, Kakashi was off again. He made it back to the book store just in time to witness Obito's purchase. Then together, the two went to a party store to buy decorations.

When they got back to Kakashi's home, Kakashi ordered Obito to visit the training field and decorate for the party while he called up some of Rin's friends from the Academy.

Kakashi now stood by himself in the kitchen, looking through an old phonebook for some familiar last names. The fact that many people seemed to share similar clan names like Uchiha or Senju didn't seem to help much.

The phonebook was filled with dozens of Aburame living in this area alone. Kakashi decided it might just be an easier idea to visit the friends instead. So Kakashi left in search of Rin's friends.

Most of the visits seemed to go by painlessly. So far, with the exception of a few people that were away on missions, everyone was easy to find and available for the party.

It wasn't until Kakashi came to the house of Rin's childhood friend Inuzuka Mai that he began to run into trouble. The visit started out normally. Kakashi knocked on her door and she invited him in.

As Kakashi walked in, he was quickly greeted by the smell of fresh sweets and the sound of Mai's dog Haruki. It wasn't until shortly after that that Kakashi noticed the brown-haired girl sitting on Mai's couch, shoveling a slice of banana bread into her mouth.

"Who's at the door?" the girl called from the couch.

"Rin, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, failing to hide his surprise.

Rin gave Kakashi a confused look. "... Is there any reason why I shouldn't be?"

It just so happened that Minato picked that very moment to step out of the kitchen with two cups of tea. He took one look at Kakashi and cringed. Then he looked back to Rin and handed her and Mai the drink. After that, Minato and Kakashi left the room to talk more.

"I'm sorry," Minato whispered. "Rin really wanted to visit Mai and I couldn't tell her no or else she would have been suspicious."

"So you played tea party instead?" Kakashi replied also in a whisper.

Minato sighed. "I guess you could say that. But I told Mai about the party. She'll be there. Now you should go and help Obito; it's almost time."

Kakashi nodded, "Thanks, Sensei, but what will you say to Rin?"

Minato smiled slyly. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Now hurry."

About two seconds later, Minato walked back into the room only to meet Rin's curious gaze.

"Where's Kakashi?" she asked.

"He just needed to ask me something, but he's gone home already," Minato fibbed.

Rin frowned and let out a small sigh. She had really been hoping to get to spend some time with Kakashi too. Why did it always seem he was too busy for her, even on her birthday?

Obito wasn't a very experienced decorator, and anyone in Konoha could have told you that just by taking a look at his bedroom. So it perplexed him to no end as to why Kakashi had put him in charge of decorating.

Obito could list a number of reasons why the two should have simply switched jobs from the start. However, the boy knew that since decorating was his job, he'd do his best to please Kakashi and he'd do it for Rin.

Obito thought about a banner that Kakashi had given him saying the words 'Happy Birthday.' That would be the easiest to find a place for first. He knew it needed to go up high, but he wasn't sure how to hang it.

Then Obito noticed the large sakura tree in front of him. If he could get up there, it would be the perfect place. People would be able to see the banner from miles away.

Unfortunately, climbing was another thing Obito wasn't very great at. He had a great fear of heights and hated to be any higher than two feet. Nevertheless, Obito tried.

It was pretty easy at first. He remembered his Sensei's tree climbing activities and tried to mimic his movements from before. Once the banner was hung, the only problem would be getting down.

Obito looked toward the ground. Part of him wondered how he made it up so easily. The other half cursed at him for getting into this mess in the first place.

Thankfully, Kakashi was quick to the Uchiha's rescue. He instantly took notice of the boy in the tree and tried his best to coax him back down before joining in on the decorating.

Kakashi and Obito finished decorating the training field just in time; Rin's friends were now showing up. Before the group knew it, Minato also showed up with Rin and Mai.

Rin's eyes lit up at the sight of every one of her friends standing in the decorated clearing. The biggest smile her friends had ever seen her wear covered her face.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIN!" everyone cheered, and if possible, Rin's smile grew even larger.

**-phantom130 5 (March 2011)**


	2. The Dream

**Chapter 2: The Dream...**

It was a peaceful scene, birds chirped merrily as they flew over a well-worn path of stones. This path was easily discernable as a common choice for a nature hike. Rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional chipmunk were also seen on this trail, only coming out from time to time to search for food.

From one side of the serene, stony pathway came two longtime friends, holding each other's hand. Once the two came closer their identities were easily recognizable. They were two members of team Minato, Rin and Obito. They eventually came to rest on a park bench sitting down and looking at each other.

"Rin, today was a great day." Obito said gazing into her eyes. To Obito's surprise he had yet to stutter. Usually Obito was so shy around Rin he could barely form a coherent word. With the way things were going maybe this would be the day he confessed his feelings for Rin.

He looked at her intently, studying her feminine figure. Her hands were smooth with long painted finger nails. Her face was also beautiful painted with a healthy blush. Her eyes seemed to sparkle whenever he looked into them, and her smile was the most stunning part of her. When she smiled, really smiled, it was like thousand angels were smiling back at him, as if to say that all the pain of being too shy, and the fear of being rejected would all disappear and everything would turn out great in the end.

"Yeah I had fun today too." Rin replied eyes lighting with a genuine smile/

"Hey Rin" Obito stated grasping both of her hands in his own, and looking deepley into her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I love you." Obito proclaimed.

Rin's face turned bright Red and she smiled wider that she had been before. "I love you too Obito, I always have."

After her proclamation Rin leaned towards Obito, eyes closing, lips puckering. Just as Obito was about to meet her half way he was interrupted by a strange beeping sound coming from the distance and progressively gaining volume.

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

"Rin what is that noise?" Obito asked, but when he looked around Rin was gone, along with the park and the bench the space was just black.

'That noise, I've heard it before...' Obito thought trying to recognize the sound. '... It sounds like an... Alarm clock...' A sudden realization seeped into Obito's mind. Rin had never tried to kiss him, the whole "perfect date" never happened. It was just a dream.

Obito sat up in disgust at his own gullibility. How could he have believed for a second that Rin, perfect in every way, Rin would ever try and kiss him. He slammed his alarm clock in anger and in disappointment.

'If only real life were more like dreams...' Obito thought with a sad sigh.

When Obito greeted his team at the training field his eyes focused on Rin. She looked just as stunning as she did in the dream. Her eyes, her hair, even her clothes they were as perfect as his dream had been.

The only difference was that Rin was obsessing over Kakashi. This made Obito envious and upset.

'Why does she have to like Kakashi?' Obito thought to himself. 'He already has everything else: looks, skill, and now Rin wants to be with him too...' watching them Obito sat down in a huff. 'I can't wait to dream tonight...'

Kakashi moved and sat beside Obito, "What's up Obito?" Kakashi asked with a cheery look on his face.

"Nothin''" Obito said turning away crossing his arms, pout on his face.

"Sheesh, why are you in such a bad mood today?" Kakashi asked glowering at Obito, watching him huff.

"Wouldn't you like to know, mask face?" Obito replied angrily.

"Um... Look whatever I did I'm uh... Sorry..." Kakashi replied unsure how to handle Obito's fit.

Deep down Kakashi didn't want to continue the conversation; the 'mask face' comment secretly offended not only him, but all other 'mask faces.'

Kakashi gave up on talking with Obito and instead pulled out a book to read. It was a book called 'Naruto Spoofing'. He considered it a good break from 'Icha Icha paradise,' and after meeting Jiraiya in the last chapter of this story he had enough pervy-ness to last him for a while.

'Would you look at that, I have the Death Note in this story.' Kakashi thought referring to himself in the book with a smile on his face, 'whoever wrote the 'Naruto Spoofing' is a genius.'

The rest of the day mostly dragged on along the lines; Obito stayed perfectly still feeling sorry for himself, Kakashi read, Minato did Hokage things, and Rin practiced medical ninjutsu.

At one point Obito told Kakashi he should go back to training, but Kakashi refused, saying that he would only train if Obito would train as well.

Eventually night fell on the Village of Leafs, and Obito went home without saying goodbye; he was too excited for night, because even if reality wasn't perfect he hoped he could count on a good dream, like last night to keep his spirits up.

Soon Obito was inside his bed and fast asleep, but as they say you can never have the same dream twice.

It was the same peaceful scene, birds chirping as they flew over the same faded trail of stones. Much like before, Rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional chipmunk were also seen on the trail only coming out from time to time to search for food.

From one side of the serene, stony pathway came two longtime friends, holding each other's hand. Once the two came closer their identities were easily recognizable. They were two members of team Minato, Rin and Obito. They eventually came to rest on a park bench sitting down and looking at each other.

"Rin today was a great day." Obito said. Once again, Obito was surprised he had not stuttered, maybe he would again express his feelings for Rin.

He looked over at Rin as if to study her body. His eyes started at her long and beautiful legs. Her body was feminine. Her hands were soft with long fingers, so far everything was perfect.

Perfect, until he saw the face, his favorite part of Rin's body, her face wasn't there. Instead Kakashi's head was sitting on top of Rin's body.

"I had a great day too." Kakashi said in Rin's voice as he took off his mask revealing his true face and moving in his head as if to try and lean in to kiss Obito.

Obito struggled to get away, but for some reason his body wouldn't move. With no options left Obito let out a scream of pure terror that was muffled by Kakashi's lips descending on his.

Obito woke with a scream, looking around the room frantically. How could a dream go from being perfect to a pure nightmare in a matter of seconds? Jumping out of his bed Obito decided that he would never sleep again.

**-phantom130 5 (May 2011)**


	3. Kakashi VS Guy

**Chapter 3: Kakashi VS Guy**

"Where's Kakashi? I heard that he's back from his latest mission and I need to see him in order to settle an old score!" Guy asked at the top of his lungs upon charging into the Hokage's office.

"I don't know..." Minato said with a sigh, "Did you check Ichiraku yet?"

"Yes, he wasn't there."

"Did you check the training feild?"

"Yes,"

"Did you try Kakashi's house?"

"Actually no... What are the chances he'll be there?"

"Well I can't say for sure, but seeing as it's _his_ _house_ the odds are in your favour."

"Thank you!" Guy yelled while running out of the room. Before he was gone he screamed at the top of his lungs "May the youth be with you!"

Minato just shook his head and let out a large sigh. Guy was an odd one. He wondered how Kakashi would manage his next encounter with him, after all Guy was always competing with him, but at the same time their rivalry was only one sided. Kakashi never saw Guy as much of a threat.

"Kakashi I know you're home! I challenge you!" Guy called out while standing on Kakashi's porch.

"Oh hey Guy," Kakashi said nonchalantly as he came out of his house followed by Rin and Obito.

"Don't you _oh hey Guy_ me! Where were you today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You promised me that once you were done your mission you'd come pay me a visit and you completely forgot!"

"Oh sorry, you're right I did forget. Wanna try to hang out tomorrow instead?"

Guy's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, "How could you forget your best friend?"

"Look it's not my fault Guy, as soon as I got home there was a new volume of Make out Paradise and I just had to read it. I mean it's the last volume before the New Year."

"Then why are Rin and Obito here too?"

"We were eating all of Kakashi's Christmas candy." Obito said with a chipper smile.

"You were doing what?" Kakashi asked with wide eyes, but Obito didn't say anything else, instead Guy gave Kakashi a serious look.

"I see how it is..." Guy said solemnly, "You're too popular now to hang out with your best friend. If that's what it is then just tell me, but you should know that someday if by some odd coincidence Obito's crushed by a bolder, Minato dies sealing away the nine tailed fox spirit, Asuma's killed by an organization that you haven't even heard of yet, and Rin just somehow disappears off the face of the planet with a very vague reason for her absence, I'll be the only friend you'll have left."

"Guy what did I tell you about breaking the fourth wall?" Kakashi asked.

"You told me not to do it before breakfast... But still that doesn't change the fact that you've been neglecting me as a friend!" Guy yelled before storming off.

Once he was gone Obito and Rin exchanged glances, "Did he just make up that right on the spot?" Obito asked.

"I don't know, but I really don't like the part about me disappearing off the face of the planet." Rin added.

'I can't believe the nerve of that guy." Guy thought, 'Some friend he is I'm sure he doesn't even miss me.'

Guy continued to walk down walked past the park, kicking a pebble with him as he walked. When he got to a bench he sat down and crossed his arms.

'I'm going to stay here for the rest of the day and if I don't see Kakashi then we're no longer friends, but if he comes to visit me then that'll prove that he really does need me and we can stay close.' Guy thought. It seemed like a good idea, but could it really work? If Kakashi doesn't come to visit then it's all over. It would be worth it though, because who wanted to continue to put time into a friendship that was only one sided?

Kakashi continued reading his book. He didn't know where Guy was and didn't care. After a while Kakashi felt thirsty and went to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water, but when he got there it came to his surprise that his fridge was nearly empty.

'Oh darn, I was so busy that I completely forgot to stock the fridge! I wanted to do that as soon as I was done the mission!' Kakashi thought angrily. He quickly closed his fridge door, put down his book, slipped on his jacket and ran outside. He needed to get to the store right away before it closed.

Meanwhile, Rin was walking around the town. It was almost the New Year and she really wanted to confess to Kakashi her feelings for him. She had a crush on him for a while, but she never had the guts to tell him just how she really felt. When she saw Kakashi running toward the store she stopped him.

"Hey Kakashi, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I can't tell you here, but if you follow me to the park I'll explain there."

"I'm kinda in a hurry... Can it wait?"

"Um... It'll only take you a second..."

"Ok, if you say so."

"Thanks."

'It's almost midnight," Guy thought to himself as he watched the New Years fireworks. He heard the countdown; sixty seconds left until midnight. If Kakashi didn't come soon he'd have no choice, but to dump him as a friend.

Twenty one

Twenty

Nineteen

Eighteen

Guy thought he heard voices in the distance, but he wasn't sure.

Fifteen

Fourteen

The voices were now slightly clearer. He could tell that the voices belonged to a man and a woman.

"So what did you want to tell me?" The man's voice asked.

"Well... Um..." The girl's voice said, it wasn't much louder than a whisper, but Guy could still make out the words and the awkwardness in her voice.

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Guy thought he could see the faces. One person was definitely Rin, who was with her? Was it Kakashi?

Three

It definitely was Kakashi!

Two

"Kakashi you came!" Guy called, running over to his friend. Rin looked confused and startled as Guy spoiled the mood by jumping in between the two and embracing Kakashi in a tight hug.

One

It was midnight. It was a new year and Kakashi and Guy's friendship was going to last. Rin put her hand on her chest.

As she watched the final fireworks shoot up in the air she wondered how much longer she'd be alone, but part of her was content with how things turned out. So what if she wasn't in a relationship just yet? If he didn't like her back then she didn't think she could take the rejection. Plus, at least she was still with him and Guy to celebrate the New Year and friendship is more important than romance.

"Happy New Years guys," Rin said putting her arms around the two and smiling wide.

**-phantom130 5 (December 2011)**


	4. The Ninja Dance

**Chapter 4: The Ninja Dance**

**Happy birthday ****ChibiJinchuuriki and happy belated Valentine's too! Enjoy! :D**

'It's so chilly these days ... Stupid Kakashi, why doesn't he just pick up his own mail?' Obito thought to himself as he walked through the village toward the ninja Post Office.

The Uchiha was dressed head to toe in winter clothing, but despite that fact he was still cold. Obito's goggles began to fog up as soon as he entered the Post Office.

'Darn it.' He thought bitterly. 'I can't see a thing.'

He removed the goggles only for a matter of seconds to wipe the lens clear and then put them back on. It was sad, but Obito had gotten so used to wearing the goggles that his eyes pretty much felt naked without them. Obito was just about to make his way over to the mailbox when someone else called him from behind.

"Hey Obito, hold on a second!"

He turned around and sure enough the voice belonged to Rin. Obito wasn't usually one to brag about it, but he could recognize the girl's voice from anywhere.

"Hey Rin, fancy seeing you here." Obito said, his face growing hot. "I mean this has got to be some sort of a coincidence that in this big village we'd both end up at the same place at the same time."

Rin giggled. "I suppose so."

"So do you uh ... come here often?" Obito asked as he got in line.

"To the post office? Of course." Rin said with a teasing smile. "Seriously Obito, you should know what they say about asking silly questions like that."

When Obito came up in line the Post Officer gave both Obito and Rin a pink, printed card with a picture of heart-shaped balloons on them. Obito opened his up and read from it carefully.

_To: Uchiha Obito_

_You are invited to the Great Ninja Dance this Friday night at the Leaf Academy from 6 to 10. Tickets for the night are free just as long as you bring a date._

_Sincerely, the Ninja Dance team _

'A Great Ninja Dance,' Obito thought with a smile, 'it almost sounds too great to be true!' He snuck a quick glance over at Rin, who was still reading her letter. 'Now if only I could ask her, then maybe the night would be perfect!'

"Oh my gosh; this sounds like so much fun!" Rin exclaimed. "I haven't seen some of the other ninja in ages!"

Obito nodded. "I-it does sound fun." He said, sounding uneasy. "D-do you know who you want to go with yet?"

Rin shook her head no. "Maybe Kakashi will go with me though. The guys are supposed to ask the girls so I guess we'll just see what happens."

Obito nodded. "Yep, I suppose we will see."

"Good luck finding someone too." Rin said with a smile. "I'm sure any girl would be happy to go with you."

Obito blushed. He wanted to talk to Rin more, but she was already gone. She had wished him good luck finding someone. He sighed.

"Stupid …. Why didn't you ask her?" He muttered to himself.

After everything the two had gone through, Rin still had no idea that Obito liked her. He wished for a way to tell her, but no matter how hard he thought, there was no easy solution. Sure he could just tell her normally, but that kind of thing was never easy to discuss. Truth was Rin just was not that into him. Obito wondered if maybe it was finally time to face that fact and give up on her, just let Kakashi win. After all, it would hurt a whole lot less in the end if he were to quit chasing her now than if he spent his whole life pursuing her only to fail.

"Here's your stupid mail!" Obito said upon entering Kakashi's house.

He dropped the mail in a pile on the table by the couch. Kakashi lay on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, reading the first Icha Icha book. A new volume in the series was just released so Kakashi was working to reread all the volumes so he could read the latest volume with a mind refreshed on the latest events in the series.

"_Not that much ever happens in that book that's worth trying to remember."_ Obito had first told Kakashi, but Kakashi still saw something in those books that made him want to keep reading.

"Thanks Obito." Kakashi said looking up from the book just long enough to meet Obito's eyes. "Anything interesting?"

"Just a few bills." Obito confessed. "There's um ... also a message about a ninja dance."

Normally Obito would have considered trying to hide the dance invitation, but he figured that Kakashi would find out anyway no matter what he did so it was only worthwhile that he would tell Kakashi about the dance first.

"So they're having another ninja dance? I thought Minato-sensei had said that they already had two dances this year. If there's one thing that we ninja pride more than fighting, it seems to be dancing." Kakashi teased, the last part being sarcastic.

"True, but I heard this is sort of _the_ _big dance_! If a girl agrees to go with you, then you know she must like you!"

"Are you asking Rin?"

"What? Are you crazy?" Obito sighed. "Look, it's like this ... Rin doesn't see me in that way. She wants you to ask her."

Kakashi gave a frown from underneath his mask. "That's a pity."

"What do you mean?" Obito asked, seeming concerned. "Don't tell me that you're planning to pick that book over her!"

"Not _a book_." Kakashi corrected. "It's _a book series_!"

"What's your point?"

"There's a difference. Canceling a dance with Rin for _a book _is hardly worth my time, but if I have a whole series to read, then ... Well you know." Kakashi said, giving a wink and pervy laugh. He put a hand to his nose. "Sorry Obito, you've got to excuse me. I've got a bit of a uh ... nose bleed."

Obito cringed. "You're nasty Kakashi."

He walked out of the apartment room and shut the door behind him. That was the last time he visited Kakashi while he was reading Icha Icha. But on the other hand, he had Kakashi's permission to take Rin on the dance. It was a crazy thought, but maybe he really could ask Rin to go with him. Obito pushed the button on the elevator and when it went up Rin stepped out.

"Obito? Funny to see you again. Are you following me?" She said with a laugh.

"Tell me about it!" Obito teased back. "Better watch out, because I'm watching your every move." Okay, Obito would admit it, he really sucked at coming up with witty comebacks on the spot, but at least it still got a giggle out of Rin. "Are you headed to Kakashi's room?"

Rin nodded. "I should probably let you go before the elevator door closes."

"... Actually, I don't think Kakashi wants to be bothered right now. You see, he's uh ... reading Icha Icha again ..." Obito said. The words sounded so dirty just coming out of his mouth.

"... Oh ..." Rin muttered, not hiding her disappointment.

"Come on, if you'd like, maybe we could go together and get some lunch." Obito suggested.

Rin shook her head. "No thanks. Kakashi's home so if it's the same with you, then I'm going to talk to him."

Obito frowned, but nodded. He got in the elevator and let it ride down. He wondered if there was more he could do to have convinced Rin to stay with him longer.

He walked until he arrived at Ichiraku. A young Teuchi, about in his late twenties to early thirties, greeted him. Normally Obito did not care for ramen, but he kind of felt like eating out tonight, just encase Rin decided to visit after all.

Asuma and Kuranai, two ninja that had gone to the academy with Obito years back sat across from him. Judging from their conversation, Asuma had just asked Kuranai to go to the dance with him and Kuranai was thinking it over.

"I'm not sure Asuma. What if my friends see me? You've always said that we're just friends. It will be hard to convince them that we're still just friends if we go to the dance together." Kuranai said. Obito could tell that the girl was close to giving in. It was obvious that she was already using most of her strength for trying to hide a blush and teasing smile.

Asuma leaned in and gently kissed Kuranai on the forehead. "Fine then, you win. You can be my girlfriend."

Teuchi came over and put the ramen down by Obito. "Enjoy sir."

"Actually if it's alright with you, I'm not really that hungry." Obito confessed. That whole romantic scene had kind of made him lose his appetite. He reached into his pocket, handed the man some money, and then left.

'5:30, still a half-hour before the dance and I still haven't got a date…" Obito said to himself with a sigh.

He had gone on a walk in order to clear his mind, but instead this had the reverse effect. Everything the boy saw just reminded him more and more of Rin and being reminded of Rin's beautiful face just made him think more and more about the dance he was going to miss because he didn't have the courage to ask her out.

Obito tried to channel out the thoughts by thinking of something else, something anything, but Rin, but this was obviously easier said than done. Everything he saw reminded him of the girl. Just by looking around he could easily see the very same training field where he and Kakashi had planned a surprise birthday party for their female partner. The bench, Obito had remembered sitting on that bench once with Rin. This was where the two had almost kissed. Too bad that was only a dream. Rin wasn't nearly that into him in real life; and if she were he would have asked her to be his girlfriend years ago.

Obito must have been moving without thinking because the next thing he knew he had made his way all the way to the bench and had sat down on it. Then as if it really were a dream, Obito noticed Rin walk into the training field as well. When the girl noticed him she began to make her way over and sat down beside him. Obito almost had to pinch himself just to make sure this wasn't another dream trying to trick him.

"Obito, what are you doing out here so late?" Rin questioned, "Don't you have to get ready for the dance?"

"I'm not going…" Obito replied scornfully.

"Why not,"

"I haven't got a date…"

"So you're on the same boat as me, huh?"

"How do you mean?" Obito questioned.

She could not be serious when she said that she wasn't going to the dance, not when half the ninja in Konoha drooled over her every second of the day, surely someone must have beaten Obito to asking her out.

"I mean exactly what I said." Rin replied, trying to shrug it off as if it were nothing, but Obito knew her well enough to know there was more to the situation than she was willing to let on, "Just no one asked me to the dance after Kakashi rejected me… I guess they'd all just found dates by now…"

Obito stuck his hand out and gently began to brush Rin's hair out of her face, "You know, I think you're beautiful. I've always been too shy to tell you, but I love you Rin, I always have."

As the boy said those words Rin's eyes widened in surprise, "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I tried to, but you know … It's hard." Obito said, seeming a little upset.

He really didn't want to turn this conversation into a talk about why he didn't confront Rin sooner. But to the boy's surprise Rin didn't seem upset, she almost seemed… happy. She smiled at him and used her sleeve to wipe up a tear that was beginning to form in her eyes.

"Obito, you're so sweet to me." She leaned in and kissed the boy on the cheek. "I don't know I feel about you, or even if I feel anything at all. Love is so confusing. But take my word on this; as long as you keep your spirit, then I'm sure you'll find someone that's just as great if not better than me."

"But Rin, you're the one I want." Obito said, his face growing crimson.

Rin shook her head. "I don't think so. It's just not meant to be." And then without another word, the girl got up and walked away.

Obito stood still for a moment unsure of what to do or say now. In whatever case, he still loved Rin and was not ready to give up just yet, not when love felt so close, yet so far away.

**~ phatnom130 5 (March 2013)**


	5. The Ninja Dance (Dream World Ending)

**Chapter 5: The Ninja Dance (Dream World Ending)**

**This is an alternate ending to the last chapter for those who prefer Obito/Rin. I hope you enjoy.**

'5:30, it's a half-hour before the dance and I still haven't got a date…" Obito said to himself with a sigh.

He had gone on a walk in order to clear his mind, but instead this had the reverse effect. Everything the boy saw just reminded him more and more of Rin and being reminded of Rin's beautiful face just made him think more and more about the dance he was going to miss because he didn't have the courage to ask her out.

Obito tried to channel out the thoughts by thinking of something else, something anything, but Rin, but this was obviously easier said than done. Everything he saw reminded him of the girl. Just by looking around he could easily see the very same training field where he and Kakashi had planned a surprise birthday party for their female partner.

The bench, Obito had remembered sitting on that bench once with Rin. This was where the two had almost kissed. Too bad that was only a dream. Rin wasn't nearly that into him in real life; and if she were he would have asked her to be his girlfriend years ago.

Obito must have been moving without thinking because the next thing he knew he had made his way all the way to the bench and had sat down on it.  
Then as if it really were a dream, Obito noticed Rin walk into the training field as well. When the girl noticed him she began to make her way over and sat down beside him. Obito almost had to pinch himself just to make sure this wasn't another dream trying to trick him.

"Obito, what are you doing out here so late?" Rin questioned, "Don't you have to get ready for the dance?"

"I'm not going…" Obito replied scornfully.

"Why not,"

"I haven't got a date…"

"So you're on the same boat as me huh?"

"How do you mean?" Obito questioned.

She couldn't be serious when she said that she wasn't going to the dance, not when half the ninja in Konoha drooled over her every second of the day, surely someone must have beaten Obito to asking her out.

"I mean exactly what I said." Rin replied, trying to shrug it off as if it were nothing, but Obito knew her well enough to know there was more to the situation than she was willing to let on, "Just no one asked me to the dance after Kakashi rejected me… I guess they'd all just found dates by now…"

Obito stuck his hand out and gently began to brush Rin's hair out of her face, "You know, I think you're beautiful. I've always been too shy to tell you, but I love you Rin, I always have."

As the boy said those words Rin's eyes widened in surprise, "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I tried to, but you know, everything that happened, with you and Kakashi …" Obito said, seeming a little upset.

He really didn't want to turn this conversation into a talk about why he didn't confront Rin sooner. But to the boy's surprise Rin didn't seem upset, she almost seemed… happy. She smiled at him and used her sleeve to wipe up a tear that was beginning to form in her eyes.

"I guess I've been an idiot; head over heels in love with someone like Kakashi who doesn't even love me as much as he loves his pervy novels…" Rin replied.

Then she leaned over and gently kissed Obito on the cheek, "I should have noticed before that you've always been there for me even when I wasn't… Thanks Obito, you're really sweet."

Without saying another word Rin stood up and ran away leaving a scarlet faced Obito by himself stroking his cheek. Had he really just won over the girl of his dreams?

Obito was still smiling wide the next morning when Kakashi stopped by his apartment. Even though the boys didn't usually get along they often walked together to the training field where Minato-sensei assigned them their mission.

"What's with such a wide smile?" Kakashi asked.

"It's a secret."

"Oh, alright,"

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

"Not really."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope,"

"Good because I won't tell you. Of course if you bag me, then I _might_ consider sharing."

Kakashi sighed. "If you're going to tell me then spit it out already or else don't say anything."

"Rin kissed me."

"What?"

"Just think Kakashi, this is the first step to romance! Pretty soon Rin and I will be married and we'll have little Uchiha and… what's Rin's clan again?"

"Nohara,"

"Oh, that's an odd name. Anyways, some day Rin and I will have little Uchiha and Nohara children! Oh, what kind of ring should I buy when I propose?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "It was just a kiss."

"You don't understand because you've never been in love like this."

"Whatever you say," Kakashi replied sarcastically.

**~ phantom130 5 (October 2013)**


	6. The Twelve Guardian Ninja & Asuma

**Chapter 6: ****Twelve Guardian Ninja & Asuma**

**Dedicated to: God Izanagi**

Kakashi, Rin, Asuma, and Obito were outside playing a game of soccer. It was Kakashi and Obito VS Asuma and Rin. So far the game was tied two to two, next point wins.

"Hey Obito pass the ball!" Kakashi shouted as he ran over to the goal ready to score.

"No way Kakashi. I think I've got this." Obito called as Asuma took his place in front of the goal prepared to block if necessary.

"Just you wait I'll win for you!" Obito called out as he continued to run toward the net, but suddenly he tripped over the ball and landed on the ground head first.

"I'm sorry Obito" Rin said taking the ball from him without even bothering to check if her friend was alright.

"You should have listened to me." Kakashi boasted as he reached out his hand to help the fallen Uchiha up.

Obito ignored him as he stood up. He was prepared to run over and steal the ball from Rin's team but it was too late. Rin had already scored and won the game for her team.

"No fair, I tripped let's play to four points!" Obito yelled.

"You don't know when to give up do you?" Kakashi sighed.

"That was a great game." A young Asuma Sarutobi said. He took the time to light up a cigarette.

As he did Obito began to cough. He hated the smell of cigarettes, but Asuma seemed to love it. He took a large whiff of the air and smiled contently.

"Hey what's going on over there?" Rin asked, pointing to an area in the distance where a crowd of people began to form.

"We should go check it out!" Obito suggested with an eager face.

"Sure I don't see why not." Kakashi added, "Asuma are you in?"

"Why not" He said with a shrug, it wasn't like he had much else to do on a lazy Sunday like today.

The gang soon arrived. They stood at the very back of the crowd. Thankfully the man talking stood on top of a stage and spoke into a microphone so that everyone could see and hear him speak.

"How many of you love the Leaf Village?" The man asked.

All the villagers cheered.

"Yeah, the Leaf Village is a great place! If anything happened to it, it would be a shame don't you agree?"

Once again the crowd cheered as a sign that they agreed with what the man was saying.

"Well how many of you would be willing to fight for your country and die for it?"

People cheered once again, this time not as many as before but the cheer was still loud. It had certainly caught the attention of all the ninja.

"What if I told you that you could be part of a team of twelve elite ninja specifically trained to protect the Land of Fire's Fire Dynamo?"

"That's impossible!" Someone called out from the audience. He was likely part of the performance.

"No my friend, it isn't impossible. We are looking for members of a new group called the Twelve Guardian Ninja. If you want to be eligible to join please ask the Hokage for the form. In less than a week we will pick the twelve ninja to join."

Asuma smiled. Being a Guardian Ninja sounded like a lot of fun. He often grew tired of being known as son of the third Hokage if he were to become one of the twelve guardians he would be known as more than just that.

No one in the Land of Fire even seemed to even care who the Hokage was, and maybe he could become his own person.

It often seemed that the only people that didn't see him as the Third's son were Kakashi, Rin, and Obito. He guessed that since the fourth was their teacher they'd understand better than anyone else how he felt.

They had always been good to him but he wanted this. He smiled at the thought. A fresh start, he needed this opportunity.

Kakashi must have noticed that Asuma was spaced out because before he knew it Kakashi had tapped him on the shoulder. "Asuma what's up?"

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking about maybe joining that group."

"Really, the Twelve Guardian Ninja?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, I think it'll help build character. I think that's something my old man has always wanted." Asuma explained.

"That's awesome!" Obito cheered.

"Yeah but being one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja is a lot of work. You'll be away from the village a lot more frequently." Kakashi pointed out, "Are you sure you want to commit?"

"Yeah, Asuma if you leave we can't play soccer as often." Obito added.

"I think I need to do this, for myself and for my dad." Asuma said. Team Minato could see that the will of fire burned brightly in his heart as he spoke those words.

Kakashi smiled and bowed his head down in honour, "If you're sure, I'll ask Minato sensei for the form tomorrow after our mission."

"Thanks." Asuma said with a grateful smile. He was lucky to have friends like Kakashi, Rin, and Obito. He just wondered how his father would react.

He was sure this would please him. He remembered his father mentioning a "king" before but he didn't say who the king was. Instead he told him that he'd tell him the answer when the time was right but Asuma knew the king was the Hokage and the Fire Dynamo.

It only made sense because they had so much more power than anyone else. His father wanted him to protect the king with his life. So that's what he was going to do.

"Alright guys our mission is over, we can all return home." Minato said to his team as he wiped away some sweat from his brow.

The mission they had just completed wasn't hard, but it had involved a lot of walking. They had to escort some men back to their home in the Land of Fire.

"Wait sensei" Kakashi interrupted running after his teacher as Rin and Obito stayed behind trying to catch their breath.

"Yes Kakashi, what is it?" Minato asked looking back to his student with questioning eyes. He wasn't use to Kakashi wanting to talk to him unless something was serious.

"Asuma was thinking of joining the Twelve Guardian Ninja. I promised him I'd ask you for the form."

Minato paused a bit appearing to be in deep thought, "I wasn't expecting Asuma to want to join. That's pretty cool. I hope he's up to the responsibility, I mean he's still young. Chances are Asuma may be one of their youngest members."

"Yeah I know what you mean, but I think he really wants to join to prove something to his father"

"Besides who are you to be questioning age Minato – sensei? You are the world's youngest Hokage after all." Rin laughed as she and Obito had finally caught up.

"Yeah I suppose you're right. The young Hokage laughed back.

"So do you have the form?"

"Yup, I'll give it to you as soon as we get back." With this the four began their long trek back to the village.

"Hey Asuma, I got you the form. For the most part the questions are pretty basic, so it shouldn't take too long to fill out, but you'll need to get it signed by your father." Kakashi said casually as he approached the Leaf Jōnin and handed him a paper and pen.

"Thank you Kakashi." Asuma said with a smile taking the papers and looking them over.

Asuma was sitting on a park bench taking a smoke when Kakashi had spotted him.

Asuma put out his cigarette, snatched the pen Kakashi was still holding and began to fill out his forms. Asuma was grumbling while he struggled to fill out the form on the park bench.

"You couldn't have found me a clip board?" He teased, but eventually he made due by kneeling on the ground and using the seat of the bench for support.

**Name:** _Sarutobi Asuma_

**Age: **17 _(Almost 18)_

**Birthday: **_October 18_

**Ninja Rank: **_Jōnin_

**Reason for Wanting to Join: **_To protect the king and make my dad proud, also for a fresh start._

**Your Signature: **_Sarutobi Asuma_

**Parent/Guardian's Signature:**

Seeing as you can't erase pen, the writing looked a little sloppy, but it would have to do. Now there was just the matter of getting a parent to sign.

"Good now we just need my old man to sign." Asuma said with a smile.

"Indeed." Kakashi replied.

"I haven't told him about this yet so I wonder how he'll react."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. It's a good cause after all." Kakashi said.

"True."

"Just pray that he doesn't go into a fit of tears like Obito's father always does right before his son leaves on a big mission." Kakashi said with a laugh.

"Don't worry; I don't think that's a problem with my dad." Asuma laughed, "He's really good at hiding his emotions, at least based on what I know."

Later that night at dinner Asuma ate with his brother, mother, and father. The whole time as he shoveled food into his mouth he wondered how he'd bring up the Guardian Ninja form.

He thought maybe he would surprise his father by showing him the form after dinner while he was reading a book written by a former student of his named Jiraiya. Deciding that was the best course of action he waited until his dad left the dinner table.

"Hey pops, I was wondering if you could sign this for me." Asuma said approaching his father calmly.

His father, who was sitting on an old comfy rocking chair, looked up from his book.

"What is it son?" The former Hokage eyed Asuma as he handed him the form. The former Hokage read over the paper in silence.

"So you want to be a part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja son?" He asked looking Asuma in the eyes.

At this point Asuma couldn't tell if he was happy or sad or angry over the news but he didn't lie to his Dad. Asuma knew that his father was far too smart to fall for deception.

"Yes dad, I was thinking of maybe joining. You know, to protect the king that you always mention."

Asuma's dad smiled and let out a small silent chuckle. This was assuring to Asuma because now he knew he wasn't disappointed, but still he stared at his father confused as to why he was laughing.

"Tell me son, when I mention the king around you who do you think I'm talking about?" He asked while looking his son in the eye.

"That's obvious you're talking about the Hokage and the Fire Dynamo." Asuma said.

"I figured you'd say that." The third said with a smile," When my father asked me who I thought the king was I said the same thing, but that's not the case. Asuma, the most important person to protect is you, and the rest of the children of the Leaf. That includes the ones that aren't yet born and the future Hokages of the Leaf. It's not as important to protect me as it is to protect the children. Keep that in mind on your journey. The children are the kings and queens of the village."

Asuma stood wide eyed looking at his father some more. It all made sense now. Why hadn't he seen it?

"I promise I'll protect the children of the Leaf." He said.

Hiruzen smiled and embraced his son in a hug. Then he signed the form and handed it back.

"I know you will." He said.

**~ phantom130 5 (October 2013)**


	7. A Silly Mission

**Chapter 7: A Silly Mission**

**Special thanks to CRAZEDbySUGAR for the idea.**

For team Minato nothing was better than visiting their teacher, and asking him if their squad could take on a mission. Each mission their teacher picked would push their team to their limit, and each was different; with new friends and new enemies, and occasionally bounty hunters going after a rogue ninja.

"I wonder what mission Minato – sensei will give our squad today?" Obito questioned enthusiastically as he ran backwards in front of his teammates.

"Me too, we haven't been out of the Leaf for a while, so I hope, with this mission, we can travel." Rin said as she smiled at Obito's antics.

"It'll be good if this mission will let me practice my new lightning blade technique." Kakashi said with an eager smile. It would seem that even Kakashi was excited for this mission, but none of the ninja expected what would come next.

"Minato-sensei we're here for a mission." The three kids said in unison upon entering the Hokage's office seeing Minato sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

He lifted his heads when his student's spoke. "Oh good, Kakashi, Rin, and Obito, I'm glad to see you kids." Minato quickly stated, eyes darting back and forth as if looking for an attacking enemy. Seeing their sensei so distraught the kids immediately straightened their posture, faces becoming masks of seriousness.

"Quick, move in closer…" Minato commanded of his team as he gestured them forward.

"What I have to tell you is a secret that none must know of…" The kids gasped as they saw a look of seriousness pass onto Minato's face as he began his tale.

"The other day" He paused as if the memory would overwhelm him. Shaking his head he seemed to find his resolve and the rest of the story passed from his lips in a rush.

"I may have broken a sacred, golden vase. I will need you kids to go on a mission to find the sacred golden duct tape in order to fix it. It is of the upmost importance because if you can't fix the sacred, golden vase then I'll get in trouble and go to jail"

Obito, Rin, and Kakashi sweat dropped at their sensei's theatrics.

"Minato – Sensei are you serious you would go to jail? Is this sacred golden vase really that important?" Obito asked a look of disbelief passing over his face.

"Yes it is. You see this vase is where the village keeps their sacred golden flowers." Minato replied.

"The village has sacred golden flowers?" Rin asked, looking a little skeptical.

Minato sighed in exasperation. "Of course the village has sacred golden flowers. They have been kept in the sacred golden vase since the First Hokage helped to establish the village. Lucky for me I was able to save the flowers, but the vase needs to be fixed, or I will be prosecuted."

"But I thought you were Hokage, can they really put a Hokage in jail?" Kakashi asked.

"For this crime they can, those flowers and that vase are ancient Leaf Village heirlooms. Please hurry and help me before the council discovers the truth." Minato pleaded with his students.

The three looked at one another nodded, and headed out on the search for the sacred golden duct tape.

"This mission with be no sweat." Kakashi said as they left the Hokage tower, hands in his pockets as he looked at the cloudless sky.

"You never know Kakashi." Obito said, "Do you have any idea where this sacred golden duct tape is located?" He asked Minato who, as their sensei, was forced to come on the mission as well.

"No, to be honest, I have no clue where it could be..." Minato answered scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Oh well we'll find it for you." Kakashi promised still looking at the sky.

With no leads as to the location of the sacred golden duct tape the team proceeded to run around the Leaf village like headless chickens as they searched for the mysterious item.

At one point Kakashi and Obito were forced to team up to fight off a purple people eater as they searched the mountain made of doughnuts on the outskirts of town, but still no luck.

They asked a few villagers if they had seen something called 'the sacred golden duct tape' but they all responded that they had never heard of it. One villager thought he had something called 'sacred golden duct tape' but it turned out to be normal duct tape painted golden.

"I have no clue where that duct tape can be hiding..." Kakashi said with a sad sigh.

"Me neither..." Rin said, "But we must keep looking."

"Hey Kakashi, what exactly makes a roll of duct tape sacred?" Obito asked.

Kakashi looked exasperated. "Well it's sacred because... Well it's golden, duh. Anything golden is obviously sacred." Kakashi explained with a laugh.

Obito laughed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I just wish we knew where the duct tape was hidden..." Rin added.

"Don't worry Rin we'll find it." Obito said, but it was getting late and they checked everywhere they could think of. Maybe they would actually fail this mission, then Minato would go to jail and the sacred golden vase would never be fixed causing the sacred golden flowers to die.

Kakashi lay down, "Guys I don't know about you but I give up..."

"Me too" Rin said as she sat down next to Kakashi.

"Guys you can't give up yet! There is still more places we can search!" Obito argued but he sat down as well. 'Where could this sacred golden duct tape be?' they thought to themselves as they watched the sun set.

"I remember our first mission." Obito said, while reminiscing "Do you remember how happy we were when we got it done and received thanks from Minato?"

"Yeah, do you remember how easy that was? It was great we all felt like we were pro and we could do anything if we worked together." Kakashi added.

"Yeah, you two would fight nonstop back then. I'm actually relived that you two aren't fighting now." Rin added as well.

"You know Kakashi, you may be a jerk at times, but you are the closest thing I've ever had to a best friend. You too Rin, I don't know where I'd be without you guys." Obito said with a smile.

"You too Obito, I may not show it but, you are my best friend too." Kakashi said smiling back.

Rin smiled, "I love you guys we make an amazing trio. Even Might Guy's squad can't compare to us."

Suddenly Obito perked up jumping from his seat on the ground, "Guys, I think I just realized where the sacred golden duct tape is!"

Kakashi and Rin followed the Uchiha child back through the Leaf into Minato's house where Obito went into their dirty clothes hamper. He then pulled out a pair of sacred golden pants and reached into its sacred golden pocket and sure enough there was the sacred golden roll of duct tape.

"How did you figure that out?" Kakashi and Rin both asked looking surprised and a little disbelieving.

"Easy, whenever you can't find something it is often in the pocket of your other pants. I know from experience." He explained.

Kakashi let out a laugh. Obito was an odd kid, and his bickering with him was far from over. Heck, they would probably fight each other until they both died, but deep down Kakashi and he both knew they were close friends and that they would always be Team Minato.

**~phantom130 5 (November 2013)**


End file.
